The present invention relates to a base for a ski boot, preferably but not exclusively a Nordic ski boot, and to a ski boot incorporating such base.
Although the word “boot” is used throughout this specification and in the claims, it should be interpreted broadly to include shoes and any form of footwear suitable for wear when taking part in skiing.
Ski boots are a specialized form of footwear that is used in skiing to provide a way of attaching the skier's feet to his/her skis via ski bindings. The ski boot should position the skier's body over the ski properly. The base of such a boot usually comprises rigid cleats or outsole elements that are used to fasten the boot to a ski binding. These outsole elements also comprise a walking surface for the boot. It is therefore important for the base of the boot, which incorporates the outsole elements, to provide strength and torsional stiffness yet still be sufficiently flexible for the intended form of skiing and for ease of walking. It is also important for the base to incorporate the outsole elements in a manner which retains them securely in a correctly orientated manner in order that the base will connect correct to a ski binding so that in use the boot is orientated correctly with respect to the ski. Conventionally, outsole elements are bonded to a previously formed sole and it is often difficult for the boot maker to judge exactly where to position the outsole elements relative to the sole to ensure that they are bonded in the correct position. The boot maker has to decide where the longitudinal axis of the sole lies and then locate and bond the outsole elements to the sole relative to this axis. Even a slight misalignment of the outsole elements can make connection to a ski binding difficult and significantly reduce the performance of the boot in use so that location of the outsole elements with precision is important.
It is an aim of the present invention to overcome or substantially mitigate the aforementioned problem and to provide a base and a ski boot incorporating such a base to which the outsole elements have been attached with precision.